The Mystery of Køhler Manor
by 1m4g1n4710n
Summary: Lukas and Mathias had met under strange circumstances. Under same strange circumstances Lukas uncovers case of mysterious murders that happened in manor eight years ago. Who is actually Mathias? One thing is for sure; It's better not to be play with skeletons in the closet. / DenNor, english version


**Hello! Welcome to my new story or more exactly translation of my new story. Please realise that English is not my first language and so the story looks like it. If you liked the story or found any mistakes please review. It helps the author. Thank you and enjoy my story!**

* * *

Winter was cruel and ruthless, Lukas Bondevik was sure of it.

Young boy pressed old worn-out coat closer to his body to keep warm. Snowflakes were whipping him in the face, slowing him, exhausting him. Cold was stabbing him into his body and clutching him with its cold hands as captive. The snow under his feet was crunching steadily and his legs were sliding into the icy drifts. He couldn't stop, if he stopped he would froze to death.

He wearily trudged through windstorm ravaged forest. Bare trees, other times bursting with soothing greenery, were breaking and fallen branches were falling right under pilgrims feet. Lukas stumbled over few of them, but luckily managed to keep his balance. Something told him that if he fell he might not get up again.

Lukas tried not to think about what will happen to him. No matter how much he was focused on the path, his mind was stubbornly reminding him of his old home. He couldn't think about warm bed or warm food. Not now, when he was fighting for his own life exhausted and hungry. He couldn't think about that if he doesn't find shelter soon he... no, he couldn't let himself think negatively.

He carefully pushed a long branch from his path only to be covered in icy snow right after. It fell into his coat, under his shirt and even if it was just a little bit it froze like Snow Queen touched him herself. He cursed and took a deep breath. _It's going to be fine_, he told himself. _Just stay calm_. He went on and tried to shake out the little of snow during his walk.

He was far away from his home. He was really far away from his home. He didn't even remember when he left. If he only knew about the blizzard sooner he could've waited. This was price for his stupidity.

His knees buckled with exhaustion and he barely had time to lean on a tree. _Just a little further_, he ordered himself. Either he had hallucinations or he just saw house in the distance. Hope worked as fuel and with the last bits of his strength he pushed himself from the tree and went after his dreamed shelter.

He was approaching fast. He was close. Little bit closer. The house lights were on and from the chimney came smoke that rose high above the trees. That was a good sign. He made it. He'll live. He was almost at the door.

Then his knees buckled again and this time he didn't have anything to lean on. He fell right into icy snow and was unable to move. His body stopped working and his mind went dark.

* * *

When Lukas opened his eyes, he was staring at the high white ceiling. According to light in the room he guessed that it was somewhere around twelve in the afternoon. He had at least four blankets thrown over him. Not that he complained. He felt extremely weak and he vaguely remembered what happened.

And then it hit him. He got out of the warm blankets and sat down abruptly on the bed. Something near him tinkled. Alarmed, he looked around the room to find out where that sound came from. To his surprise he had tied to his hand a small silver bell.

Barely the tinkling stopped a blond boy about his age bursted into room. His blue eyes fixed onto Lukas as he smiled delightedly.

"Ye're finally awake! You slept for," boy paused for a moment. "Well, for a long. I had to take care of you, for a while it looked pretty bad with you! When you were awake I stuffed you with lot of meat. I hope you're not vegetarian or something..."

_You would find out that pretty quickly,_ Lukas thought. If somebody louder than this boy existed Lukas didn't want to meet them.

"I was dying out of curiosity to know what you were doing here in the middle of a blizzard. I'm here all alone so I was pretty excited when I saw you! I mean, before you collapsed. Of course I wasn't excited when that happened, right." he laughed nervously.

"I'm Mathias Køhler and you are?" Mathias ended his confusing speech.

"Lukas Bondevik." Lukas admitted trying to absorb everything that this boy told him within second. He managed to ask only about one thing.

"Why did you tie a bell to me like I was some kind of cattle?"

Mathias blinked at him in surprise and then started to laugh. "To know when you will be awake. I didn't want you to wait."

Lukas nodded and tried to get a grip. This Mathias Køhler just told him that he took a care of him and saved his life. And apparently all alone. When he thought about it, it was almost suspicious. And from what he saw the house looked like smaller manor.

"You are here alone?" Lukas asked suddenly.

Mathias's smile disappeared from his face for a moment. "Parents are gone and it's been some while since they haven't returned." then he smiled again. "But now you're here! Why won't you tell me what you were doing here?"

Lukas hesitated and decided to tell only half of the truth. He owned him at least some information. "I had nowhere to go. I wanted to find a new place for living, but when I went out blizzard caught me unprepared."

Mathias nodded and his eyes lit up with excitement. "You have nowhere to go? You can stay with me! I'm here alone and it's pretty boring!

Lukas froze in surprise and was left speechless. He studied Mathias's face. He tried to find in it a hint of... he didn't know of what exactly. He didn't trust him.

Why would he invite a complete stranger to his house? Wasn't it enough that he saved his life?

"Excuse me?"

"I'm saying that you can stay with me. There's lot of rooms!" Mathias repeated.

"Do you really mean it?" Lukas wasn't sure whether it was a good idea. He already owned him so much.

"Well, yeah!" Mathias smiled cheerfully at him. "At least I won't be here alone!"

Lukas sighed. He could stay with him for a while; maybe even do trivial works to repay what he's done for him.

Yeah, that would work.

"Alright," he nodded after a long pause. "I would be extremely grateful. And thank you very much for saving my life."

"That was matter of course. I couldn't let you freeze to death Luke! Now I could I?" Mathias laughed again and friendly ruffled Lukas's blond hair. "Oh, I almost forgot! I found this lying next to you."

He pulled small hairclip in the shape of a cross from his pocket. Lukas took it immediately and clasped with it his hair on the left side of his head.

"Thanks." and for the first time Lukas smiled at him.

"So you can smile!" Mathias exclaimed enthusiastically and laughed at himself. Lukas just rolled his eyes. He was too weak to return it somehow.

If he only knew for how long he's going to be with Mathias and what things he'll face, well, he would be genuinely surprised.


End file.
